Dinner For Four
by Evidence
Summary: Sequel to A Seminar For Two- Griss visits Sara in San Fran where they must see if they can be "just friends".


Title: Dinner For Four  
  
Author: Evidence  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Sequel to A Seminar For Two  
  
Author's Notes: After Grissom and Sara exchange e-mails- what happens next? This is what I came up with. (This is actually becoming a trilogy so there will be one more story after this.)  
  
  
  
The knock on the door made her drop the book she was reading. Sara Sidle had been overly anxious ever since she invited Gil Grissom to come visit her. She was shocked when he sent an e-mail asking when he could come. Sara had met Grissom at a seminar she took at Harvard. He was not suppose to teach it, he filled in for a friend. She had planned to drop it, until she saw his blue eyes. Fate had intervened and they had met. She was interested in him but the age difference was off setting to him. They had agreed to be friends and nothing more. Sara secretly hoped that this visit would change their relationship.  
  
She swung up the door that revealed Grissom. He wore a white polo shirt and black slacks. "Wow, it's so good to see you," she said ushering him in.  
  
"It's good to see you, too, Sara."  
  
She looked questionably at him. "Where are your bags? Or are you not planning to change your clothes?" Or maybe you don't need clothes, she thought.  
  
"Oh, they're at the hotel."  
  
"Hotel?"  
  
"Yeah, the Rio Dunne Hotel, a few blocks from here."  
  
Sara couldn't hide her disappointment. "Oh, I thought you were staying here. Remember I said I would take the couch."  
  
"That's not necessary." He looked around at the small apartment. "Nice place you have here."  
  
"Is that why you wouldn't let me pick you up at the airport? You didn't want me to try to change your mind about the hotel?" Sara was hurt and she didn't mind showing it.  
  
Grissom sighed. He had to make her understand. "Sara, I don't want to stay here with you."  
  
"Why did you even come then?" She angrily asked.  
  
"Will you listen for a second and let me explain before you jump to conclusions!"   
  
"Fine, go ahead, explain."  
  
"I don't want to stay at your place because if I do something will probably happen."  
  
"What, comets will fall from the sky?"  
  
He rubbed his face with his hands. She could be the most difficult person sometimes. "No, not comets. We could...we could sleep together and I don't want that to happen." She moved her eyes to the floor. "I don't want that to happen Sara because you're too young and it wouldn't be right. I'm here in San Francisco because I want to spend time with you. We connected at the seminar and while we can't be lovers we can be friends. I miss my friend."  
  
Sara knew she shouldn't be angry with him, they had decided together that friendship was the definition of their relationship. She was attracted to him though; it was hard to hide that fact.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said slowly, "I just wanted a little more."  
  
"Believe me, I know." He smiled at her. "So are you ready to show me San Francisco?"  
  
"I'd love to."  
  
  
  
  
They spent the day walking around the city, going into shops, eating lunch at a restaurant by the Golden Gate Bridge. As the night drew near Sara showed him a dinner boat. It was large and white with three upper decks.  
  
"Have you been on there?" he asked.  
  
"No," she shook her head.  
  
"Why don't we go tonight, it might be fun."  
  
She smiled, "Yeah, that would be." She slammed the palm of her hand onto her forehead. "Grissom we can't. You need to dress up if you go on there."  
  
He shrugged his shoulders. "Why can't we dress up?"  
  
"I'm not buying some fancy dress for one night."  
  
"Imagine it's the prom all over again."  
  
"I didn't go to the prom."  
  
He smiled, they were so much alike. "Me, neither. So lets pretend we are going to the prom together."  
  
She laughed. "Okay, but I'm telling you know I'm not sleeping with you and I'm not getting drunk."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
  
  
  
  
They found a little shop specializing in formal wear at the corner of Dupsin Street. Grissom quickly found a black suit he liked. Sara picked out a multi-color tie to go with it that looked like one of the t-shirts she loved.   
  
Grissom found a few dresses he thought Sara would look good in and pushed them into her arms. "Go to the dressing room and change."   
  
"Yes, Dad."  
  
"Don't ever call me that." There was a tone of seriousness in his voice.  
  
"I'm sorry, I won't." Sara sped off to the changing area.  
  
A few moments later she came out modeling the first dress. Grissom felt his breathe stop at the sight. It was black, form fitting, and short.   
  
"Well, what do you think?" she asked.  
  
"We'll take it," he yelled to the saleswoman who was busy helping another woman.  
  
"You don't think it's too short, do you?"  
  
"Sara, it's perfect."  
  
Sara went back to change into her street clothes: jeans and a t-shirt. When she came out of the dressing room she noticed the price tag that accompanied the dress. It read $180.  
  
"Yow!"  
  
"What?" Grissom asked.  
  
"This dress is way too expensive. I can't afford it."  
  
"That's okay. I'll pay it for you." Grissom quickly took his wallet out and produced his credit card.  
  
"No, way! You're not buying me a dress."  
  
"Sara, it's a lovely dress, I want you to have it."  
  
"No, it's foolish."  
  
"Sara..."  
  
"No!"  
  
He sighed and let the color rise to his cheeks. "Please will you let me buy the dress. It's a selfish gift, I want to see you in it again."  
  
Sara was tempted to tell him "No" but decided against it. She wanted their relationship to progress and if wearing this expensive dress helped then so be it. "Okay, you can buy the dress but I'm pay you back for it."  
  
He smiled and handed the saleswoman his credit card.  
  
  
  
  
  
Grissom dressed at Sara's apartment. Not probably the smartest thing to do. He was in bathroom imagining her undressed in her bedroom. Get ahold of yourself, Gil.  
  
He looked at his self in her mirror. He didn't look too old, he thought. The tie really didn't fit with the suit but he didn't care, Sara had picked it out.  
  
"Grissom, can you come zip me up?"  
  
He banged his elbow on her porcelain sink. "What?"  
  
"The dress needs to be zipped up or else I'm going to fall out of it."  
  
"Wasn't it like that at the store?" he called from the sanctuary of the bathroom.  
  
"Yeah, but now I'm going out where other people will be and I don't want my back exposed to all of them."  
  
He took one more look at himself in the mirror. You can do this, he said.  
  
He exited the bathroom and met up with Sara who was now out in the living room. His fingers were hot and sweaty as he proceeded to zip up the back of her dress.   
  
"Thanks," she said turning around to face him. Boy, she had gotten to him, his face was red tinged.  
  
"You look beautiful." He said somehow getting the words to his month.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
They entered the boat at eight and moved to one of the lower decks for dinning. Grissom walked with his hand on Sara's back, gliding her to a table in the corner. There were no two-seater tables so two empty chairs accompanied them.  
  
"I'm having a great time."  
  
"Me, too, Sara."  
  
"Excuse me." A voice next to them interrupted their thoughts. A young man and woman were standing next to their table. "Can we take these seats?"  
  
"Sure," Sara replied thinking he meant taking them to another table.  
  
The man and woman placed themselves at Grissom and Sara's table. "Don't you just love San Francisco? We are on vacation here."  
  
Grissom and Sara exchanged looks. Great, now they were stuck with these two.  
  
"I'm Ted and this is Becky."  
  
"Hi," Becky said.  
  
"So are you and your daughter visiting, too?" Ted looked at Grissom as he asked.  
  
Sara moved her eyes to the table cloth.  
  
Grissom felt a surge of sadness overtake him. Why did he visit Sara? This was never going to work.   
  
The waiter appeared. "Are you ready to order?"  
  
"Excuse me," Grissom said leaving the table.  
  
Sara quickly followed. "Grissom, stop!"  
  
He turned to look at her. "This is too close to a date Sara."  
  
"Friends go out to eat."  
  
"Friends don't look at each other the way we do."  
  
Tears formed at Sara's eyes. "Please, Grissom, don't tell me we can't be friends anymore."  
  
"I'm going back to the hotel." With that he was gone.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sara cried as she drove home. If she couldn't be his lover she was willing to settle for friendship. She knew him, she knew that he would leave first thing in the morning. She had to stop him.  
  
Being a light sleeper, Sara was up before 5 and headed straight to Grissom's hotel. She charmed the hotel manager into letting her go up to his room. Using some know-how she had, she picked the lock on his hotel door and let herself in.  
  
He was still sleeping in bed; the covers curled up around him. She silently sat herself on top of the bed and waited. An hour later his eyes opened, shock written on his face.  
  
"Sara, what are you doing here?" Did he pass out last night and forget something.  
  
"I'm here to prove to you that we can be friends. See, I'm sitting here on your bed and nothings happened." She gestured to the clock. "I've already been here an hour and like a Girl Scout I've behaved myself."  
  
"Sara, you where never a girl scout."  
  
"I never said I was."  
  
He sat up in bed careful to pull down his t-shirt. He was a mere inch from her. "What do we do now?"  
  
"How about watching tv.?" She grabbed the remote from the stand beside her. "Friends watch tv together."  
  
"Not usually in bed."  
  
Sara smiled. They watched two news shows and chatted. Eventually Grissom got out of bed and changed making sure that Sara closed her eyes so she wouldn't see his boxers. She took a peek anyways.   
  
Grissom, now fully dressed, walked over to her. "I got one more day in this city. What would you like to do?"  
  
"Oh, it doesn't matter."  
  
"I'm glad Sara we can still be friends."  
  
"Me, too." At least friends for now, she thought.  
  
He looked at the young woman sitting on his bed. When she was older and he finally felt like living his life with someone, he hoped it would be her.  
  
  
  
They spent the day together and then Grissom returned home to Las Vegas. As the years progressed they kept in touch. E-mails were sent, phone calls made and Grissom visited Sara when a few seminars were held in San Francisco. Grissom went on a date or two but no one excited him like Sara. Sara had dated and had a serious relationship but she never wanted to settle down with anyone like she did Grissom. They had a great friendship full of trust and banter.  
  
Then a CSI would get shot and Grissom found himself calling Sara for help. He needed his friend with him during this troubling time and they would finally get the chance to work together.  
  
When Sara had hung up the phone that day she was ready to change her whole life. She was no longer too young for Gil Grissom. Finally their relationship could progress further. He was calling her because he wanted her to be part of his life. At least that is what she assumed. Sadly Sara was mistaken. For now there was another stumbling block to their relationship- he was to be her boss. 


End file.
